I’m so honored to be quoted in the new Mayissue of Family Circle magazine, on newsstands now!

Family Circleis a very dog-friendly publication. There’s no K9 on the cover – that honor goes to a highly photogenic bunch of in-season lilacs that look so fresh you can practically smell their delightful fragrance.And yet, the first Table of Contents page makes it clear that Family Circle is put together by Dogsters.

Right there on page 3 you’ll seean adorable white dog enjoying the comfort of a plush, white-slipcovered armchair! That photo embodieswhat I like to call Critter Comforts!

That’s not all: Page 20 sports a photo of a sweetLabnamed Nina wearing the ThunderShirt, the ingenious doggy jacket designed to calm anxious K9s in the event that loud noises – thunder, fireworks, and the like – threaten to disturb their peace. “If dogs could blog,” the copy reads, “we know she’d say, ‘Let it rain!'” Aw.

Meanwhile, page 118 features Cheryl S. Grant’s excellent article “Cleanup Crew,” all about pet-safe home cleaning products. The ASPCA reports that poisoning from household cleaners is one of the top reasons for emergency phone calls from frantic owners (home improvement items such as Gorilla Glue are also up there). So Cheryl graciously lists pet-safe alternatives, introducing them like this: “Here are great options that get the job done while keeping your animal out of harm’s way.”

I was pleased to see my absolute favorite product,Get Serious,gets star billing at the top of the page.

As Cheryl explains, “Urine stains and odor can be problematic because the smell causes your pet to mark the area again and again. Get Serious stops this by drawing out the pheromones – natural body chemicals produced by the animal – as it removes stains.”

The real reason I love this product is that it helps keep dogs out of shelters, where sadly, thousands of pets are relinquished for “resoiling.”More than a cleaning product,Get Serious isa housetraining tool – and it really works.

I wrote my book “Pretty Pet-Friendly” to help raise awareness of the homeless dog crisis, and how the choices we make in our home decor can positively impact shelter pets. We can all do ourpart to help end dog homelessness – and Get Serious CEO Jacklyn Rasmusson is making a real difference with her impressively effective, completelynon-toxic stain and odor extractor.

Even people who don’t have dogs (whoever they are) should get to know Get Serious, because it’sequally effectiveat removing the messes people make – what I call the human stain -yet it’s totally non-toxic, and safe to use around kids.

Cheryl’sarticle ends with a couple of recipes for my favorite DIY home cleaners. The reason I like to mix my own is simple: I know that my dogs won’t get into trouble if they lick at a surface that’s been cleaned witha concoctionI’ve made myself. Here are the recipes:

For cleaning hard surfaces, combine 1 quart of white vinegar with 1 tablespoon of whole cloves. Let sit overnight. Cloves act as a natural antibacterial – plus, they give an instant atmospheric lift, because they smell just like Christmas!

For washing out a litter box orthe pan for yourPet-a-Potty, or for sprucing up tubs, tiles, and grout, mix 1 cup of white vinegar, half a cup of baking soda, and 2 tablespoons of chemical-free dishwashing liquid (such as Seventh Generation Natural Dish Liquid). This foamy formula is so powerful, it cannot be bottled or it would explode!

Do you have any secret-weapon cleaning recipes you’d like to share, to help your fellow Dogsters win the war on dirt? Please share them in the comments.